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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: "hakim marsha" <hakim_marsha17@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 14:24:37 +0000
Subject: I NEED YOU TO WORK WITH ME,

Alternative E-mail:mr_hakim145@yahoo.com
FROM THE DESK OF MR.HAKIM MARSHA.
MANAGER BILL AND EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT FOREIGN REMMITTANCE DEPT. CONTINENTAL
BANK LOME,REPUBLIC OF TOGO.WEST AFRICA.

Dear Friend,

Compliments of the day.How are you and your business today with hope that
God is fully in control.I believe that you will be suprise to receive this
mail in the sense that you dont know me till this moment.

I am Mr.HAKIM MARSHA. the manager of Bill and Exchange at the Foreign
Remmittance Department Of CONTINENTAL BANK LOME TOGO.I am writing following
the impressive information about you . In my department I discovered an
abandoned sum of $15m, Us dollars (Fifteen million US Dollars) in an account
that belongs to one of our foriegn customer who died along with his entire
family in plane crash on 31 October, 1999 on board the Egyptian Airline 990
alonside other passengers,

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of
kin to come over and claim his money because we can not release it unless
somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the decease as
indicated in our banking guidlines and laws, but unfortunately I learnt that
all his supposed next of kin or relation died along side with him at the
plane clash leaving no body behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this
discovery that I decided to make this business proposal to you and to enable
the release of the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the
deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for
it and I dont want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed
bill.

The banking law and guidline here stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed after six years, the money will be transfered into the bank
treasure as unclaimed fund. The request of a foreigner as next of kin in
this business is occassioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner
and a togolaise cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.We will discuss
our sharing percentage as soon as we establish a mutual relationship.After
the tranfer I will visit your country for disbursment according to the
percentages we will decide upon.

Therefore, to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as
arranged,I will issue you an specimen of application which you will apply
first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased.in the specimen
of the application you will re-type,fill the necessary information about you
and summit it to the bank which the address will be upon the application.

upon receipt of your reply, i will send to you the application.but at
thesame time i will want you to include to me your telephone and fax number
for our effective communication.Also i will like you to know that we have to
keep this business secret between ourselves.

You can contact me immediately through my E-mail address as soon as you
receive this mail,Alternative E-mail:mr_hakim145@yahoo.com

GOD BLESS YOU,
Mr.HAKIM MARSHA.
Alternative E-mail:mr_hakim145@yahoo.com
+228-938-1745.

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